Background: The fibrinogen γ-module has several functional sites and plays a role in dysfibrinogenemia, which is characterized by impaired fibrin polymerization. Variants, including γD318Y and γΔN319D320, have been reported at the high affinity Ca2+-binding site, and analyses using recombinant fibrinogen revealed the importance of this site for fibrinogen functions and secretion. We examined the polymerization abilities of the recombinant fibrinogen variants, γD318Y and γK321E.
Materials and methods: γD318Y and γK321E were produced using CHO cells and fibrinogen functions were examined using thrombin- or batroxobin-catalyzed polymerization, gel chromatography, protection against plasmin degradation, and factor XIIIa cross-linking.
Results: γD318Y did not show any polymerization by thrombin or batroxobin, similar to γΔN319D320, whereas γK321E had slightly impaired polymerization. The functions of Ca2+ binding, hole 'a', and the "D-D" interaction were markedly reduced in γD318Y, and gel chromatography suggested altered protofibril formation. In silico analyses revealed that structural changes in the γ-module of these variants were inconsistent with polymerization results. The degree of structural changes in γD318Y was moderate relative to those in γD318A and γD320A, which had markedly impaired polymerization, and γK321E, which showed slightly impaired polymerization.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that no polymerization of γD318Y or γΔN319D320 was due to the loss of both "A-a" and "B-b" interactions. Previous studies demonstrated that "B-b" interaction alone causes polymerization of neighboring γD318A and γD320A fibrinogen, which is subsequently decreased. Marked changes in the tertiary structure of the γD318Y γ-module influenced the location and/or orientation of the adjacent β-module, which led to impaired "B-b" interactions.
Keywords: Dysfibrinogenemia; Fibrinogen; β-Module; γ-Module; “A-a” interaction; “B-b” interaction.
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